LAST-GASP drama has become their speciality, but it can now be said with certainty that Southport's season won't contain a late twist in the tale.

Conceding decisive goals in stoppage time is common practice for the Sandgrounders this campaign - and in a match that again saw them drop points against fellow strugglers, Halifax Town were the tenth beneficiaries of a belated slip-up.

Weighed down by that rock bottom feeling, manager Peter Davenport cited the dismissal of 'Port defender Steve Rowland on 50 minutes as the moment that 'changed the game.'

Having taken the lead through Carl Baker's first goal in nine matches, the home side were forced to negotiate the majority of the second half at a numerical disadvantage after Rowland had received a straight red card for the use of a flailing elbow in an aerial challenge with Darryn Stamp.

Davenport had no qualms with the decision but was left to bemoan the consequences. "I didn't think we looked like conceding until the sending-off but from then on we were up against it," he said.

"We could have gone to a three-man defence but I thought they were getting at us down the sides, so we wanted to keep a back four. We defended magnificently, but it just wasn't to be.

"I can't fault anyone for effort. The lads are devastated. They know they have put in a really hard shift and they're so disappointed to concede late on again."

After reshuffling in the wake of Rowland's dismissal, Southport resorted to an approach that saw the strain on their rearguard grow progressively more severe. Unable to gain any control of the play, it seemed only a matter of time before they finally subsided.

Despite the cruelty of the circumstances, an equalising goal was the minimum that Halifax's intense second half pressure merited. Southport were the only side to threaten during a mundane opening period, but the visitors would probably have reaped greater reward had it not been for the rapid reactions of 'Port goalkeeper Terry Smith.

The Sandgrounders went ahead on 13 minutes. After clever play from Chris Holland, Baker won a penalty having been clattered into by Steve Haslam.

Although his initial spot-kick was easily parried by goalkeeper Craig Mawson, the attacker reacted swiftly to mop up the resulting rebound.

Mark Boyd provided the deliveries as Tony Gray shot wide and Mawson saved a header from Baker, who also had a rasping effort deflected over by a block from defender Ryan Creswell.

Boyd cleared the bar and no-one was on hand to put a toe to Gray's pass across goal, while the only meaningful moment fashioned by Halifax during the first period saw Tom Kearney waste a good opportunity from 20-yards.

But after re-emerging from the interval with renewed intent, the visitors' cause was aided by the dismissal of Rowland. For Southport - the most ill-disciplined side in the Conference - it was their sixth red card of the season.

Cue the Halifax assault. Lewis Killeen nodded wide before being denied by 'Port keeper Smith, whose two most impressive interventions were made with his legs to thwart substitute Andy Campbell from close range.

Holland twice made last-ditch blocks and Ryan Creswell cannoned a towering header against the bar from a Kearney corner, while Southport defender Mark Birch and keeper Smith cleared off the goal-line to stop aerial efforts from Stamp and Chris Billy respectively.

Sandgrounders substitutes Liam Blakeman and Jon Newby drew saves from Mawson, but Halifax got their goal in the second minute of added time. After good approach play on the right, Danny Forrest supplied an incisive pass that enabled Stamp to poke the ball tidily into the goal. And only another save from Smith prevented the striker from further compounding Southport's misery.